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First published in 1997, this title is a sequel to Dr Noel Curran's first book The Logical Universe: The Real…
Universe (published by Ashgate under the Avebury imprint, 1994). The philosophy of mathematics in this book is based on ideas of Sir William Rowan Hamilton on the ordinal character of numbers, the real numbers, the measure numbers, scalar numbers and the extension to vectors. The final extension is to Hamilton’s quaternions. This algebra is interpreted as the mathematics of spin. This led to a a new theory of time and space which is Euclidian. The motion of spin is absolute, no frame of reference is required. If time is assumed to have a beginning it would be asymmetric with an arrow. This concept is applied to the laws of nature, which are symmetrical. This is another Copernican Revolution in three aspects: absolute time is restored, time has an arrow - is asymmetric, and thirdly the theory is based on the motion of spin which is absolute and more fundamental than the motion of translation. This opens the way to the final unification of physics.Will, Imagination, and Reason: Babbitt, Croce and the Problem of Reality
By Claes G. Ryn. 1997
Will, Imagination, and Reason sets forth a new understanding of reality and knowledge with far-reaching implications for the study of…
man and society. Employing a systematic approach, Claes Ryn goes to the philosophical depths to rethink and reconstitute the epistemology of the humanities and social sciences. He shows that will and imagination, together, constitute our basic outlook on life and that reason derives its material and general orientation from the interaction between them.The imaginative master-minds novelists, poets, composers, painters, and others powerfully affect the sensibility and direction of society. Sometimes a distorting, self-serving willfulness at the base of their visions draws civilization, including reason, into dangerous illusion. More penetrating and balanced vision and rationality spring from a different quality of will. Ryn explains the kind of interplay between will, imagination, and reason that is conducive to a deepened sense of reality and to intellectual understanding. He argues that human life and self-knowledge are inescapably historical. In developing his dialectical view of intellect, he draws from Irving Babbitt, Benedetto Croce, and other philosophers to refute positivistic, formalistic, and ahistorical theories of knowledge and to develop his alternative.Advancing a systematic epistemological argument, Ryn throws much new light on the nature of reason but also on central issues of ethics and aesthetics. This trenchant and original work is indispensable to philosophers, social, political and cultural theorists, literary scholars, and historians.European Existentialism
By Nina Langiulli. 1997
European Existentialism is a rich collection of major texts and is made all the more significant by the range and…
depth of its contributions. This book aims to give greater intelligibility to existentialism by providing samples from antecedents of and influences upon it. Although existentialism is regarded as an example of twentieth-century philosophizing, the book presents nineteenth-century thinkers such as Kierkegaard and Nietzsche as its forerunners. Thinkers, such as Dilthey, Husserl, and Scheler, frequently associated with other trends hi philosophy, such as historicism and phenomenology, are included because of their influence upon existentialism. Informative biographies of each author represented are also included.European Existentialism includes a broad range of philosophers working in the existentialist mode not only French and German, but also Spanish, Italian, Jewish, and Russian philosophers. This volume is also distinctive in that it omits existentialists from the literary world. While Dostoevsky is often included in other existentialist collections, Langiulli represents Russian philosophy with a selection by Berdyaev. In his new introduction, Langiulli discusses how the themes of existentialism have led to contemporary aberrations. He uses the language of political rights as an example; whereas we once referred to "freedom of speech," we have transformed that phrase into a much wider category, "freedom of expression."Langiulli also examines various trends that have derived from existentialism: postmodernism, deconstructionism, and multiculturalism. Langiulli's introduction and the contributions place existentialism as a genuine tradition in the history of philosophy. European Existentialism is an invaluable collection for philosophers, educators, and all those interested in the existentialist tradition.African-American Perspectives and Philosophical Traditions
By John P. Pittman. 1997
Science and the Structure of Ethics
By Abraham Edel. 1997
Initially prepared as part of the Foundations of the Unity of Science volumes under the auspices of the International Encyclopedia…
of Unified Science, Science and the Structure of Ethics soon took on a life of its own. Well positioned in the naturalistic tradition of ethical theory extending from John Dewey at the start and Richard Rorty at the conclusion of the century, Abraham Edel's volume offers a remarkable synthesis of the ways hi which ethical statements can be examined, and the nature of ethical concerns.Edel reveals a singular capacity to move beyond oracular controversies of the good and the right hi favor of a comparative, analytic, and functional account of how ethical perspectives and practices affect the content of moral discourse. In Edel's work, the structure of ethical behavior is defined by biological, psychological, social, and historical functions. Hence a scientific account of ethics is possible since moral norms are themselves products of an experiential field open to verification procedures common to all other walks of human life.In reviewing the impact of Edel's work hi general, and this volume in particular, Irving Louis Horowitz notes that Edel's naturalistic emphasis fits neatly with a view of ethics as something grounded in human experience rather than mandated from divine assumption: "It is hard for me to imagine a turning back from the hard lessons of the century, any more in ethical theory than in empirical research as such. We owe a central place in our century's intellectual capital to Edel's examination of ethical doctrines in the light of changing circumstances." This is a work certain to enlist the interest of ethicists, sociologists of knowledge, as well as those concerned with issues hi the philosophy of science and religion alike.Social Reality (Problems of Philosophy)
By Finn Collin. 1997
Social reality is currently a hotly debated topic not only in social science, but also in philosophy and the other…
humanities. Finn Collin, in this concise guide, asks if social reality is created by the way social agents conceive of it? Is there a difference between the kind of existence attributed to social and to physical facts - do physical facts enjoy a more independent existence? To what extent is social reality a matter of social convention. Finn Collin considers a number of traditional doctrines which support the constructivist position that social reality is generated by our 'interpretation' of it. He also examines the way social facts are contingent upon the meaning invested in them by social agents; the nature of social convention; the status of social facts as symbolic; the ways in which socially shared language is claimed to generate the reality described, as well as the limitations of some of the over-ambitious popular arguments for social constructivism.Mill was one of the most important British philosophers of the nineteenth century; his Utilitarianism is a pivotal work in…
ethical thought. This book, written specifically for students coming to Mill - and perhaps philosophy - for the first time, will be an ideal guide.Mill on Utilitarianism introduces and assesses:* Mill's life and the background of Utilitarianism* the ideas and text of Utilitarianism* the continuing importance of Mill's work to philosophyThis is the first book dedicated to Utilitarianism itself. Concisely written and engaging, it is perfect reading for those studying Mill or moral philosophy.Viroid Life: Perspectives on Nietzsche and the Transhuman Condition
By Keith Ansell Pearson. 1997
Nietzsche's vision of the 'overman' continues to haunt the postmodern imagination. His call that 'man is something that must be…
overcome' can no longer be seen as simple rhetoric. Our experiences of the hybrid realities of artificial life have made the 'transhuman' a figure that looks over us all. Inspired by this vision, Keith Ansell Pearson sets out to examine if evolution is 'out of control' and machines are taking over.In a series of six fascinating perspectives, he links Nietzsche's thought with the issues at stake in contemporary conceptions of evolution from the biological to the technological. Viroid Life; Perspectives on Nietzsche and the Transhuman Condition considers the hybrid, 'inhuman' character of our future with the aid of Nietzsche's philosophy. Keith Ansell Pearson contrasts Nietzsche and Darwin before introducing the more recent figures such as Giles Deleuze and Guy Debord to sketch a new thinking of technics and machines and stress the ambiguous character of our 'machine enslavement'.Strong Hermeneutics: Contingency and Moral Identity
By Nicholas H. Smith. 1997
Recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in ethics, particularly in the approaches of deconstruction and hermeneutics. At the…
same time, questions of identity have risen to prominence in philosophy and beyond into cultural studies and literature. Strong Hermeneutics is a clear and accessible investigation of both the enlightenment and postmodern or 'weak' approaches to contemporary discussions of ethics. The weak view, which can be traced back to Nietzche and seen in the recent work of Rorty and Lyotard, is sceptical of any universal principles in ethics. The enlightenment view, starting with Kant and more recently seen in the work of Habermas, views identity as subject to universal but formal moral constraints, the renewing of which is the proper task of ethics. Nicholas Smith argues that neither of these views can provide a proper framework for ethics. He puts forward a third position - a strong hermeneutics - drawing on the work of Hans-Georg Gadamer, Paul Ricoeur and Charles Taylor. Strong Hermeneutics presents a defence of this view, compares it with the realism and anti-realism debate in philosophy, and demonstrates its relevance to contemporary issues, particularly ecological responsibility.Heidegger and the Political (Thinking the Political)
By Miguel De Beistegui. 1997
Recent studies of Heidegger's involvement with National Socialism have often presented Heidegger's philosophy as a forerunner to his political involvement.…
This has occured often to the detriment of the highly complex nature of Heidegger's relation to the political. Heidegger and the Political redresses this imbalance and is one of the first books to critically assess Heidegger's relation to politics and his conception of the political.Miguel de Beistegui shows how we must question why the political is so often displaced in Heidegger's writings rather than read the political into Heidegger. Exploring Heidegger's ontology where politics takes place after a forgetting of Being and his wish to think a site more originary and primordial than politics, Heidegger and the Political considers what some of Heidegger's key motifs - his emphasis on lost origins, his discussions of Holderlin's poetry, his writing on technology and the ancient Greek polis - may tell us about Heidegger's relation to the political. Miguel de Beistegui also engages with the very risks implicit in Heidegger's denial of the political and how this opens up the question of the risk of thinking itself.Heidegger and the Political is essential reading for students of philosophy and politics and all those interested in the question of the political today.Sexual Justice: Democratic Citizenship and the Politics of Desire
By Morris B. Kaplan. 1997
Sexual Justice defends a robust a robust conception of lesbian and gay rights, emphasizing protection against discrimination and recognition of…
queer relationships and families. Synthesizing materials from law, philosophy, psychoanalysis and literature, Kaplan argues that sexual desire is central to the pursuit of happiness: equal citizenship requires individual freedom to shape oneself through a variety of intimate associations.Liberation And Purity: Race, Religious Movements And The Ethics Of Postmodernity
By Chetan Bhatt, Chetan Bhatt University of Southampton.. 1997
Present Hope: Philosophy, Architecture, Judaism
By Andrew Benjamin. 1997
An understanding of what we mean by the present is one of the key issues in literature, philosophy, and culture…
today, but also one of the most neglected and misunderstood. Present Hope develops a fascinating philosophical understanding of the present, approaching this question via discussions of the nature of historical time, the philosophy of history, memory, and the role of tragedy.Andrew Benjamin shows how we misleadingly view the present as simply a product of chronological time, ignoring the role of history and memory. Accordingly, discussion of what is meant by the present disappears from philosophical concern. To draw attention to this absence, Andrew Benjamin introduces the notion of hope and asks what this concept can tell us about the present.At the heart of the outstanding work is an emphasis on the relation between hope and the Jewish tradition. Through discussions of philosophical responses to the Holocaust, the work of Walter Benjamin, Daniel Libeskind's Jewish Museum, and the poetry of Paul Celan, Present Hope shows how we must look beyond the purely philosophical horizon to understand the present we live in.Thomas Paine: The Standard Edition
By Moncure Daniel Conway. 1997
Thomas Paine was a hugely influential revolutionary pamphleteer, whose writings were instrumental in bringing about some of the greatest political…
changes the world has seen. Paine's enduring importance lies not so much in the depth of his political philosophy as in his great abilities as a communicator of political ideas. Conway's Writings was the first complete critical collection of Paine's works, and his Life was the first account to show Paine in a positive light.France before 1789: The Unraveling of an Absolutist Regime
By Jon Elster. 2020
A masterful new account of old regime France by one of the world's most prominent political philosophersFrance before 1789 traces…
the historical origins of France's National Constituent Assembly of 1789, providing a vivid portrait of the ancien régime and its complex social system in the decades before the French Revolution. Jon Elster writes in the spirit of Alexis de Tocqueville, who described this tumultuous era with an eye toward individual and group psychology and the functioning of institutions. Whereas Tocqueville saw the old regime as a breeding ground for revolution, Elster, more specifically, identifies the rural and urban conflicts that fueled the constitution-making process from 1789 to 1791. He presents a new approach to history writing, one that supplements the historian's craft with the tools and insights of modern social science. Elster draws on important French and Anglo-American scholarship as well as a treasure trove of historical evidence from the period, such as the Memoirs of Saint-Simon, the letters of Madame de Sévigné, the journals of the lawyer Barbier and the bookseller Hardy, the Remonstrances of Malesherbes, and La Bruyère's maxims.Masterfully written and unparalleled in scope, France before 1789 is the first volume of a trilogy that promises to transform our understanding of constitution making in the eighteenth century. Volume 2 will look at revolutionary America in the years leading up to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 while the third volume will examine all facets of the French and American assemblies, from how they elected their delegates and organized their proceedings to how they addressed issues of separation of powers and representation.Emotional Intuition for Peak Performance: Secrets from the Sages for Being in the Zone
By Jason Gregory. 2020
Reveals a structured mind-body system for cultivating effortless action and intelligent spontaneity for peak performance • Details 4 fundamental habits…
and routines that are essential for developing peak performance and explains how to incorporate them into daily life • Explains the cognitive science behind the development of expert skills and how the teachings of ancient Eastern sages align with these scientific findings • Offers practices for cultivating physical and mental intelligence, fasting the mind, and harnessing creativity to achieve your desires Integrating the wisdom of the ancient sages with modern science, Jason Gregory explains how world-class artists and athletes reach peak performance--and how you, too, can harness this &“lifestyle technology&” to make your actions effortless, enjoy intelligent spontaneity, and reach optimal performance at a peak level. Drawing on modern cognitive science, Gregory explains dual process theory, which divides mental activity into two spheres: cold cognition, analogous with rational thought, and hot cognition, based on emotional intuition--a theory anticipated by ancient Eastern thought, especially the teachings of the Chinese sages. The author explains that peak performance is impossible to achieve by relying solely on cold cognition as it cuts you off from the energy reserves necessary to excel. He shows how the athletic concept of being &“in the zone&” is based on practices that have become energized by hot cognition and thus instinctive. Outlining a structured training system that blends hot and cold cognition, the author identifies four fundamental habits and routines that lay the foundation for a healthy embodied mind and mindful body and thus are essential for developing peak performance and success. He explains how these training methods are practical applications of ancient wisdom from Zen and Taoist traditions, such as wu-wei, as well as how they are supported by recent medical research. Building on the four fundamentals, he offers practices for cultivating physical and mental intelligence, fasting the mind, and harnessing creativity to achieve your desires. Gregory explains how, with regular practice, we can use the four fundamentals to create masterpiece days. And, as the masterpiece days compound, you build an unstoppable momentum where success is inevitable.Theory of the Gimmick: Aesthetic Judgment and Capitalist Form
By Sianne Ngai. 2020
A provocative theory of the gimmick as an aesthetic category steeped in the anxieties of capitalism. Repulsive and yet strangely…
attractive, the gimmick is a form that can be found virtually everywhere in capitalism. It comes in many guises: a musical hook, a financial strategy, a striptease, a novel of ideas. Above all, acclaimed theorist Sianne Ngai argues, the gimmick strikes us both as working too little (a labor-saving trick) and as working too hard (a strained effort to get our attention). Focusing on this connection to work, Ngai draws a line from gimmicks to political economy. When we call something a gimmick, we are registering uncertainties about value bound to labor and time—misgivings that indicate broader anxieties about the measurement of wealth in capitalism. With wit and critical precision, Ngai explores the extravagantly impoverished gimmick across a range of examples: the fiction of Thomas Mann, Helen DeWitt, and Henry James; photographs by Torbjørn Rødland; the video art of Stan Douglas; the theoretical writings of Stanley Cavell and Theodor Adorno. Despite its status as cheap and compromised, the gimmick emerges as a surprisingly powerful tool in this formidable contribution to aesthetic theory.Writings of Charles S. Peirce: 1890–1892
By Charles S. Peirce. 2009
Volume 8 of this landmark edition follows Peirce from May 1890 through July 1892—a period of turmoil as his career…
unraveled at the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. The loss of his principal source of income meant the beginning of permanent penury and a lifelong struggle to find gainful employment. His key achievement during these years is his celebrated Monist metaphysical project, which consists of five classic articles on evolutionary cosmology. Also included are reviews and essays from The Nation in which Peirce critiques Paul Carus, William James, Auguste Comte, Cesare Lombroso, and Karl Pearson, and takes part in a famous dispute between Francis E. Abbot and Josiah Royce. Peirce's short philosophical essays, studies in non-Euclidean geometry and number theory, and his only known experiment in prose fiction complete his production during these years.Peirce's 1883-1909 contributions to the Century Dictionary form the content of volume 7 which is forthcoming.Writings of Charles S. Peirce: 1867-1871
By Charles S. Peirce. 1984
"For anyone seriously interested in Peirce, or in nineteenth-century American philosophy, or in American intellectual history, or in philosophy in…
general, or in semiotics and its philosophical import, these volumes should be required reading." —Murray G. Murphey, SemioticaVinyl Theory
By Jeffrey R. Di Leo. 2020
Why are vinyl records making a comeback? How is their resurgence connected to the political economy of music? Vinyl Theory…
responds to these and other questions by exploring the intersection of vinyl records with critical theory. In the process, it asks how the political economy of music might be connected with the philosophy of the record. The young critical theorist and composer Theodor Adorno’s work on the philosophy of the record and the political economy of music of the contemporary French public intellectual, Jacques Attali, are brought together with the work of other theorists in order to understand the fall and resurrection of vinyl records. The major argument of Vinyl Theory is that the very existence of vinyl records may be central to understanding the resiliency of neoliberalism. This argument is made by examining the work of Adorno, Attali, Friedrich Nietzsche, and others on music through the lens of Michel Foucault’s biopolitics.